1. Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to wireless telecommunications systems and, in particular, to the use of web (i.e., Internet) technology to access and manage data stored in a customer administrative system (CAS) and/or a network element such as a home location register (HLR) database or a wireless service control node (WSCN).
2. Description of Related Art
Reference is now made to FIG. 1 wherein there is shown a block diagram of a portion of a telecommunications network 10 implementing an interface (IF) 12 between a customer administrative system (CAS) 14 and a plurality of database network elements (NE) 16. The interface 12, customer administrative system 14, and database network elements 16 are interconnected using a network 18 preferably comprising a network, such as an X.25 network, separate and apart from the telecommunications network 10. The telecommunications network 10 comprises a wireless (for example, cellular) communications system, and the database network elements 16 comprise, for example, a home location register (HLR) or a wireless service control node (WSCN). The home location register/wireless service control node functions in a database fashion to store permanent and temporary wireless subscriber data. The permanent data stored in the home location register/wireless service control node comprises fixed information concerning the communications service subscripted to by each subscriber. The temporary data stored in the home location register/wireless service control node comprises variable information concerning the current location of each subscriber. With respect to the wireless service control node, further functional operations are supported in connection with the provided of subscriber services (such as intelligent network services).
The customer administrative system 14 is utilized to engage in transactions relating to the administration of the permanent data stored in each database network element 16. These administration activities, in general, relate to transactions performed for the purposes of user (i.e., subscriber) creation or definition, service activation, and the like, relating to a given user. More particularly, the transactions relate to subscriber data administration tasks such as:
subscription initiation/removal/status,
subscriber activation/cancellation,
service provision/withdrawal/activation/passivation,
C-number (transfer) definition,
pass code changes, and
serial number changes.
The transactions may further relate to authentication administration tasks such as authentication activation/change/deactivation/status. Additionally, the transactions relate to numbering plan configuration including number range assignment, numbering plan deletion and numbering plan viewing.
A service operator is the entity that implements and maintains the infrastructure comprising the telecommunications network 10. The service operator typically utilizes licensed retailers to market and sell subscriptions for telecommunications services to individual users (i.e., the subscribers). The service operator may further sell blocks of subscriptions to yet another entity referred to as a service provider. The service provider then markets and leases/sells these subscriptions (perhaps also through the use of its own retailers) on an individual or group basis to end user subscribers.
Access to and management of the data stored in the customer administrative system 14 and the database network elements 16 is typically restricted to the service operator. In this regard, the service operator takes responsibility through its customer administrative system 14 for controlling the transactions discussed above relating to the administration of the permanent data stored in each database network element 16. Now that more and more service providers are purchasing blocks of subscriptions for their own management, there is an interest in granting the service provider access to the customer administrative system 14 and each database network element 16 for transactions and/or limited or restricted data entry, review and modification purposes in connection with the permanent data administration tasks. Similarly, in connection with the establishment of new subscriptions, retailers also desire access to the customer administrative system 14 and each database network element 16 for transactions and/or limited or restricted data entry, review and modification purposes. Furthermore, the users themselves desire access to their home database network element 16 for transactions and/or limited or restricted data entry, review and modification purposes in connection with maintenance of certain aspects of the permanent data comprising their subscription (such as, for example, their forward-to, speed dialing, and call screening lists).
Concerns over maintaining the integrity and security of the data stored in the customer administrative system 14 and each database network element 16 must be addressed before these kinds of external entity accesses are granted. Furthermore, an economical and user friendly mechanism is needed to provide the service providers, retailers and users with transaction-related data access to the customer administrative system 14 and each database network element 16.